Improvement in



Nrren STAfrss Perenai' Genies.,

l chosen Joa-Y, or BALrrMoan, MAnrLANn.

llVlPROVEl'VIENT IN WORKING OYSTER-TONGS.

`Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44.634. dated October 11. 18H4.

To all whom it may concern:

v Be it known that I, GEORGE J URY, of the v cityof laltiniore, in the State of Maryland,-

have invented a -new and Improved Mode of atching Oysters by Tongs or Rakes; and I do .hereby declare that 'the following is' a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters oi' reference marked thereon'.

The nat-ure of my invention consists in using four or more pair of oyster tongs or rakes, one on each side of the foremast and one on each side of the mainmast of. a schooner or other vessel operated by three boys A(for four pair to the axle of 'said barrel, whereby two-pair ot' tongs ascend while two pair descend, thus keeping up a continuous elevation and depresf, sion of said tongsV or rakes from the bottom Ito the deck. I.

`To enable others skilled inthe art to make v and use my invention,-I will .proceed to de-v scribe its construction and operation.v

. Iconstructlny VessolA, Figures 1,2and3,in`

the usual way, withtwo lor more masts, B, aeeording to the number of rakes to'be employed.- .The masts arey supplied with yards C C, about eighteen inches on eachy ond longer than the breadth. of beam., Said yards are supplied with proper lifts and braces or guys running aft from the main-yard and forward from 4the fore-yard to keep them steady. On each yardarm is secured asiiigle block, a. l

At the center of the deck, between the two masts B B, 1 erect a suitable' frame, E, secured to thedeek, upon the end rails of which are attached friction-rollers for the support of a shaft, said rail beingvabout thirty inches from the deck. Said shaft rui'is'through theanddlef of a strong barrel, D, and, resting upon said' frietienrellers, is used to operate the hoisting through blocks e', and, leading up throngzfn blocks Non its corresponding yard-arm, descends, and, passing` through blocks b on one end of the 'rakc-lmuille f, crosses over and passes through blocks c at the end of the-opposite handle, and thence back to the irstnamed handle. The whip end is secured about a foot below block b.. rilhe same arrangen ment is lmade on the other side of the barrel, the cord'being -made tight.4 On one end ot' thebarrel a shaft is attached a crank or hanp die. Upon applying power to said crank the revolution .of the' barrel draws one pair' of rakes up, at the same time presses the handles together andicloses the tongs, while the other pair of rakes descend, and as the cords are loosened-thel tongs open ready to take hold at the bottom. Thus while one b oy is operating the crank the other two boys attend, one on' each side the vessel, to empty the tongs as they ascend.

What I claim as' my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' The methodl above described ot' combining` a common strong barrel as an elevator with cords and blocksto several pairs of rakes', operating and geared as above described, fonthe vpurpose ot' aking oysters with but tew hands.

GEORGE J URY.

Witnesses:

Jos. MORRIS, M. S. ROBBINS. 

